Despite only opening in March, the new venue already has a worn-in feel, with supplies displayed in wooden shelves on dark stucco walls and by-the-glass wines scrawled on butcher’s paper.

A wine list featuring tongue-in-cheek categories like “Everything happens for a riesling” groups bottles by region and occasion. The selection is not long but creatively curated, as befitting Esposito’s past life as Vue de monde’s wine director.

The food menu is a progression of nostalgic dishes from Esposito’s homeland Puglia, flavoured by the ocean and a field-to-fork mentality. It opens with affettati (various smallgoods), then smaller “cold” plates and larger “hot”. From the cold, a carpaccio offers a generous serving of beef draped with silken slices of zucchini scapece and reggiano curls, the meat tender but light on seasoning.

From the hot, the swordfish carbonara gets marks for novelty, with smoked fish swimming in orecchiette dusted with chives and two types of roe. Rosella isn’t about to herald a return of edgier dining along Gertrude St. But then, from the chatter of the diners around us, maybe it doesn’t need to.

To read our full list of reviews for Victoria, head here.